Joe Abruzzese
Title: President, Advertising Sales, Discovery Communications
Years in Cable: 15
Education: Seton Hall University
Best Advice: Make the client successful and you will always be successful.

Eric Phillips
Title: President, Domestic Distribution, Discovery Communications
Years in Cable: 13
Education: BA, Oberlin College; JD, University of Michigan
Best Advice in 7 Words or Less: Always support your team.

Talk about a powerful dual-revenue stream… These two make it look easy. Abruzzese has built a reputation as one of the most respected advertising execs in the industry. Part of his success comes from the personal and professional relationships he builds with clients and colleagues. And his influence expands beyond Discovery, with Abruzzese serving as chairman of the Cable Television Advertising Bureau. In his spare time, you may find him enjoying his new hobby—building model ships. Phillips has navigated the often-volatile world of programming negotiations with finesse, inking renewal agreements in the past year with NCTC and Cablevision as well as new deals with Sony for PlayStation Vue and Hulu for Hulu Plus subs. Next up is Comcast, which could prove interesting given the concerns the programmer has raised over its potential merger with Time Warner Cable.

Abruzzese
I watch most programming on this device: Surprisingly, I watch on my TV
If I had a show on YouTube it would be called… “Punishment By Fashion Police”
Apple iWatch or Rolex? Rolex
Favorite vacation spot: Amalfi Coast/Tuscany—anywhere in Italy
Desert island album: Let It Bleed – Rolling Stones
Dish I can make and that would impress a celebrity chef: Chicken Francaise

Phillips
I watch most programming on this device: TV
Favorite scree: HDTV
Twitter, Instagram or Snapchat? Twitter
The technology that will most benefit cable over the next year is: 4K/UHD
Desert island album: Sting’s Nothing Like the Sun
Favorite TV show as a kid: “The Odd Couple”
The last time I had a good laugh was… watching an “Odd Couple” rerun

The Daily

Subscribe
Tuesday–June 15

Cable Center, C2HR Go Virtual (again)

The Cable Center ’s 23rd Cable Hall of Fame celebration will now be held virtually on October 20, and it’s headed to C-SPAN . Seven media industry leaders will be honored as part of the 2020 class: Baker

Read the Full Issue
The Skinny is delivered on Tuesday and focuses on the cable profession. You'll stay in the know on the headlines, topics and special issues you value most. Sign Up

Calendar

Jul 16
Diversity List – 2021 Nominations Due: July 16, 2021
Sep 10
Most Powerful Women – 2021 Nominations Due: Sept 10, 2021
Dec 7
Most Powerful Women CelebrationSave the Date!
Full Calendar

Jobs

Seeking an INDUSTRY JOB?
VIEW JOBS

Hiring? In conjunction with our sister brand, Cynopsis, we are offering hiring managers a deep pool of media-savvy, skilled candidates at a range of experience levels and sectors, The result will be an even more robust industry job board, to help both employers and job seekers.

Contact John@cynopsis.com for more information.